Campervan insurance: must I inform my insurer when/where I'm travelling in EU?

JahW

I'll be off for several weeks to Spain and Portugal from the UK in a few weeks time. I've being doing this for a few years and never informed my insurer up until my last trip at end of 2023. The only reason I did last time was because, when I contacted my insurer (Adrian Flux) about renewal, I said during the conversation that I was I about to go abroad.  Then they wanted to know where, when and for how long so they could issue a "Foreign Use Confirmation cover letter". This is a pain as I don't generally have fixed start and end dates, or necessarily a fixed plan for the countries I'll visit. 

Do I really have to do inform them ? My insurance certificate says it "takes the place of an International Motor Insurance Card (Green Card) and is evidence that the insurance extends to include the compulsory motor insurance requirements of: etc" so I can't see it's needed. I haven't found anything in my documentation that says it's a requirement". I'm confused.

sheramber

Better to ask your own insurance company as they will all have their own rules.

JahW

True but I'd like to know other people's experiences, particularly with Adrian Flux.  Many people of on longer road have fluid plans about when and where they will be travelling.  And I can find nothing in my insurance docs to say that I'm expected to do this.  🤷🏼‍♀️

BoGoF

If Adrian Flux have told you that you need to then why do you think random strangers are going to say ignore it? Doesn't matter what others experiences are.

TELLIT01

Other people's experiences with other insurers or Adrian Flux are irrelevant.  The rules applied by an insurance company can and do change over time.  If you were in an accident abroad, and police deemed you to be uninsured, telling them that people on MSE Forums told you it would be OK won't be much of a defence.  The time and effort required to make a phone call would be time well spent in my opinion.

maman

My insurance (car not campervan) policy specifically states I can drive abroad for however many days. Do you have something like that on your policy? 🤔 That would seem to be proof that you were insured for the trip.

Personally I'd look for that clause (if you have it) and then just check with insurer that you're OK for a trip. There will be a maximum number of days but, in any event, you'll be limited for how long you can stay in the EU and it'll be recorded. 

JahW

Hi.  My problem is that Adrian Flux, as far as I'm aware, have NEVER in any documentation explicitly required this info and so, as I said, I had never previously informed them of numerous other EU trips.  

The only reason they knew about my last trip is because I mentioned it during a conversation about something else.  At that time they then asked for the exact dates and countries and spoke of issuing me a 'Foreign Use Confirmation cover letter'.  I don't know the point of this letter as my certificate does explicitly state, in many languages, that it replaces the 'green card' and is evidence of satisfying international compulsory insurance.  My policy document does also say I'm limited to 90 days a year (regardless of Schengen rules).  This is the only logical reason I can see they might want it. 

I didn't query why they wanted the info at the time as it had nothing to do with the query I'd originally contacted them about.  (Also I just wanted to get off the phone once they'd answered my actual question.)

Anyway I will contact AF to explicitly find out but the experience of other AF customers is VERY relevant if, like me, they are unaware of any requirement to do this.  

Thanks for all your thoughts.

400ixl

As it is Adrian Flux I would want everything in writing in triplicate to ensure I was covered and covered by the underwriter. Take a belt and braces approach with them.